Her Pride and His Prejudice
by FloraIrmaTylee
Summary: Hermione was supposed to hate him for being a rude, insufferable prat. Draco just made it harder and harder for her to carry out her plans. Pride and Prejudice AU.


**I watched Pride and Prejudice and thought, this would make a great Dramione fanfiction. I planned to make it a mult chapter fic, but I told myself I already had more stories than I could handle at this point. I may write it still, though, someday. So I just wrote a random Pride and Prejudice AU for my HP OTP, and it's kinda all over the place so uh- yeah. **

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The first time Hermione Granger had met Draco Malfoy, he was a complete and utter prat.

Hermione had attended a ball at the Weasley household, and had the misfortune of seeing the blond, wealthy bachelor that night. Chatting with her friend Padma Patil, she overheard a conversation in which Draco called her physical characteristics merely tolerable to a friend of his, another rich bachelor by the name of Harry Potter.

At that moment, she swore that he was unworthy of her time and that there was no man as rude as he.

When she encountered Draco Malfoy again, it was in the drawing room of the Potter home, where he was staying with his friend Harry. Harry and Hermione's friend Ginny had gotten along rather well, and Ginny went to visit the man she fancied. Ginny had gotten sick on her way there, and Hermione wished to see if her friend was well.

He was writing a letter to someone, and refused to chat with Hermione, much to the satisfaction of the woman he was sitting with, a miss Pansy Parkinson. Still, he exchanged a few civil words with her, but let Pansy engage Hermione in a conversation rather than attempt it himself.

Hermione said a few clever retorts to his very few words, her brown eyes sparkling with rage at the way he baited her. Draco had looked up from his parchment to see her glare of disdain. His silvery gray eyes simply smiled as his mouth stayed a hard line.

Hermione had left with Ginny when she was better, as Ginny told Hermione of how wonderful Harry was, and that he also planned a ball to invite them all to.

When this promised ball took place, it took Hermione by surprise when Draco sought her out for a dance. She had accepted without much thought, but as they waltzed, she found he still did not have many words other than tauntingly devious ones.

Attempting to converse with him, Hermione found that Draco paid no attention to her words. Instead, his eyes searched hers as if there was something he were looking for. At the end of the dance, he had pressed his lips to her hand and left her flabbergasted at the end of the room.

She had not seen him for weeks when Hermione was proposed to, by Ginny's brother Ron. He confessed that he'd always pictured her as his wife, and that he wanted her to become Hermione Weasley.

Hermione could not accept his proposal. Leaving with tears, she begged him to find a better woman that actually deserved him, and not her, a woman who wanted more out of life than a man who loved her. Ron was left alone on the couch of the Weasley home with a heartbroken expression.

A week later, Ron is wed to Padma Patil and Hermione could not be happier for the both of them.

Harry Potter leaves the country with Draco, and Ginny is filled with despair because the man she loves is gone. She also leaves the country for a vacation with an aunt, leaving Hermione without her oldest friend.

Because she can, she visits her friends Padma and Ron, going to see their home for the first time. There, Ron introduces her to his patroness, a lady Bellatrix Lestrange.

Hermione is surprised to see that Draco Malfoy attends the dinner with them, and even more so to find that Draco is the nephew of Lady Bellatrix.

After dinner, Hermione plays the piano to the delight of Padma whilst Ron and Lady Bellatrix talk. Draco stands by the grand piano next to her, and his words are much more free when she speaks to her.

Yet again, he gives infuriating comments that leave Hermione's quick tongue replying spitefully. His only response to her spew of language is to smirk, his lips stretching smugly.

A few days later Draco visits Padma and Ron's house to find Hermione alone, but makes a hasty retreat when Padma returns.

Padma's eyes twinkle with something mischievous as she tells Hermione that Draco may fancy her. Hermione calls her bluff and refuses to believe such a ridiculous notion.

Hermione had the pleasure to meet Draco's cousin Nymphadora, a woman a few years older than herself during a visit to Lady Bellatrix's estate. Nymphadora speaks that Draco saved his friend Harry Potter from marrying a woman that many objected against. Hermione figures that is was he that separated Ginny from Harry, and her anger boils. He was the reason Ginny had left, and he had the audacity to talk to Hermione. Worse, he believed he had the right to make her laugh with the ridiculous things he said and that he could talk to her about her piano playing.

Hermione vowed that she would hate him for the rest of her life.

A few days after this happens, Hermione is packing to return home from her visit with Ron and Padma when Draco catches her unaware. He goes into her room and tells her something that leaves her head reeling. Running his hands through his white-blond hair, he admits that he had been madly in love with her and asks her to marry him.

Hermione is speechless for only a few seconds. Jabbing a finger into his chest, her eyes glaring hate, she demanded to know why he could ever fathom that she would return his feelings. Draco opens and closes his jaw like a marionette, but Hermione's hand never wavers.

She insists that she'll never love him, not when he caused the heartbreak of Ginny Weasley. Draco finally sets his jaw firm, and a hardness settles in his eyes.

He leaves right then, not looking back, leaving the door open behind him. Hermione watches him leave, her nostrils flaring. For reasons she can't place, her eyes watch him as he ducks his head and disappears.

A few days later, he leaves the country, handing Hermione a letter before he goes. She looks up at him, his light hair swaying in the wind and his grey eyes locking with hers. Chest heaving, she watches his taunt body walk away from her.

She reads the letter twice when she is alone. Draco apologizes for convincing Harry that Ginny did not return his affections. He also says that he cannot blame her for refusing his proposal so bluntly, because he was not worthy of someone like her. Hermione is confused when she finishes. Because she's a woman whose family is not as rich as Draco's, nor as respected. And he is saying he does not deserve her.

Ginny returns, and Hermione goes to visit her friend. Ginny declares that Harry is water under the bridge, but her eyes sparkle whenever his name is mentioned. Hermione is careful to steer any conversation away from the man Ginny so desperately loved.

During a visit to the Weasley household, she finds the area in an uproar. Fred Weasley was the older brother of Ginny, and he had fallen in love with a young woman named Daphne Greengrass. However, her wealth far exceeded his own and Daphne's parents did not approve of the match.

Fred and Daphne eloped hastily, and the Weasleys as well as the Greengrasses searched for Daphne and Fred. Hermione held Ginny through the tear filled nights, letting her friend sob over her fear. If Daphne's father found Fred, he could kill him.

Surprisingly, Fred and Daphne returned happily married not a week later, with Daphne's parents having approved the marriage.

Not one soul had any idea how, but when Daphne lets slip that Draco Malfoy attended the wedding, Hermione knows. And the realization causes the teacup she had held to clatter to the table sharply.

Hermione visits Malfoy manor a few weeks later with her parents. Her parents had insisted that she needed to travel, and the manor was open for visitors.

Taking in the extravagant portraits, satiny sheets, and delicate decorations, Malfoy Manor was the house of elegance of wealth. With a small laugh, Hermione realized it might have become hers had she accepted Draco's proposal.

During her visit, she stumbled upon Draco in a corridor of the home. He had been playing the piano, and she had heard, and had paused to listen.

Draco smiled when he saw her, and spoke civilly to her and her parents, even inviting them to dine with him. Hermione doesn't understand why the man she had treated so rudely could still give her parents a smile.

After her visit, Hermione goes to visit Ginny Weasley again. There, Harry Potter stops by for a visit. Requesting a private audience with Ginny, he proposes.

Ginny tells Hermione all of the details when Harry leaves. The way he clutched her hand, the way he apologized for being a fool and leaving her side, and begging her to give him another chance.

She had accepted with a nod, tears flowing down her cheeks. Hermione smiles at Ginny's revelation, but notices that Harry is climbing onto his horse to take his leave, and next to him, Draco Malfoy looks inside of the house, directly at her.

Hermione blushes a deep red that thankfully Ginny does not comment on.

When she met Draco Malfoy again, he was walking along the same path she was traveling on.

"Draco," she said quietly. He gives her a nod.

"Miss Granger," Draco replies.

"I want to thank you," Hermione said, before he could move and before he could leave again. Draco freezes in that spot, but gives her his attention.

"I know that it was you who informed Harry of Ginny's feelings. And I know that you gave Daphne Greengrass's father a large sum to compensate for his daughter marrying a poor man," Hermione said. "Draco- why would you?"

She expected him to say that she was welcome, or even to give her another explanation, but the last thing she expected was for him to start chuckling.

"I did it for you, you mad woman," he said, smiling. "I know that Fred and Ginny Weasley are like family to you."

Acting on impulse, Hermione kissed him. She didn't care if she seemed like a harlot- he was worth it.

He kissed her back, tangling his long fingers into her curly hair. Hermione reaches to rest the palms of her hands against his chest, exhaling when he finally lets her go.

"Thank you," she breathes out again.

"Does this mean you'll marry me?" Draco rests his forehead against hers, his breath tickling her nose. Hermione giggled, feeling as carefree as a young girl again.

"I think it means yes," she murmured, and kissed him again.


End file.
